Patricia Walsh
As the books are journals that were not really intended for publication, the voice is not "Thomas Merton, Best-Selling Author and Religious Thinker". The voice we hear now is "Thomas Merton, Sinner Just Like the Rest of You, But Doing the Best He Can". And the bottom line is that I really like this voice! I like Merton! Not just the best-selling author Merton, but the every-day guy Merton - who makes mistakes, gets angry or even irratible, and sins in spite of himself.
Highly recommended for any Merton fan, but also of interest to religious scholars and biographers (the books are well indexed) and even everyday folks who are merely interested in the life and times of a Trappist monk in the 20th century.
IF you are looking for quick insights to the contemplative mind and think Merton is a good place to look, you are correct, but this is not the volume for you. Remember this is a journal, not a book. It is open with Merton's struggles and anxieties. Often Merton quotes small portions of other works and sketchy notes that are important to him, but confusing to the reader. You probably will not finish the volume. Give it 1 star.
IF you are interested in the biographies of notable Christians, and I am, you will find this volume intriguing, inspiring, and at times troubling as you wrestle with the imperfections of a person that many put on a pedestal. Give it 3 stars and prepare to wrestle.
IF you journal, and I do, you will feel an urge after each section to go to your own journal and fill in a few pages. Give it 5 stars and sharpen your pencil.
That's as much as I can say about this book, but it should be enough for you to know if you want to add it to your library.
As the final volume progresses, it appears that Merton is just going through the motions in keeping the journal. Some entries are casual or offhanded - his departure from Gethsemani, for example. He also hints about not returning. One feels he is living in a dream or living a dream. He is letting go of his past. He discusses getting his affairs in order with the Merton Trust at Bellarmine. He speaks of not having his papers (of which he says there are plenty) "merely to rot or get lost in the monastic library." He wants his papers to be read and seems to be planning for how people will view him in the future.
A few final words on the Journals of Thomas Merton. It was well worth reading the seven volumes and they are now a permanent part of my library. They covered the majority of his life as a religious, and a bit of the time before. The editing and preparation of the journals was very well done. The volumes are meticulously indexed, a great help to readers and scholars. The journals are unvarnished Merton. The text bears careful word-by-word reading because flashes of brilliance and insight appear quite unannounced. Publication of the journals is a literary event, but not necessarily a spiritual event - his spiritual legacy has been distilled into his other books. These will continue to be the medium by which most people will come to know Merton.